A legend of the heavyweight division once admitted that he refused a world championship showdown with Mike Tyson.
‘Iron Mike’ is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, becoming a world champion on two occasions throughout his storied professional career.
His historic win over Trevor Berbick back in November of 1986 saw him capture the WBC world title and become the youngest heavyweight champion of all time, a record that remains unbroken to this day.
Victories over WBA champion James Smith and IBF champion Tony Tucker in the year that followed meant Tyson would achieve undisputed heavyweight champion status in August 1987, just days after his 21st birthday.
Despite facing so many elite heavyweight opponents during his career, one man that Tyson did not cross paths with was the late, great George Foreman, who remains the oldest world heavyweight champion ever.
In an interview with Max Kellerman, Foreman made no mistake in admitting that he refused a potential world title showdown with ‘Iron Mike’ at all costs.
“I called him Mike ‘Nightmare’ Tyson, that guy was a nightmare in the ring, I mean really. If he missed you with his left, then miss you with his right, he’d bite you. I didn’t want to have anything to do with that guy. No way”
Foreman and Tyson came close to negotiating a clash back in 1995 upon Tyson’s release from prison, although a bout between the legendary duo failed to come to fruition.
‘Big George’ etched his name into the boxing history books in November 1994 when he dethroned Michael Moorer of the WBA and IBF titles to become the oldest heavyweight champion of all time.
